A decision by the Obama administration to terminate federal funding for a program run by the US bishops’ conference seems to reflect “abortion politics,” Church officials observe.

The Department of Health and Human Services has announced that it will not renew support for a program run by the bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services, designed to help the victims of human trafficking. The federal agency noted that the bishops’ program did not provide a “full range of reproductive services” including abortion and contraception.

Defenders of the bishops’ program argue that promoting the use of contraception among the victims of human trafficking can have a brutalizing effect, aiding those who exploit helpless refugees by forcing them into prostitution.

Other political analysts see the termination of the program as a form of political payback. The non-renewal of the grant was announced soon after the US bishops entered their strong opposition to the Obama administration’s plan to require contraceptive coverage in all health-care insurance programs.

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It will be interesting to see if the bishops are willing to take the Obama administration to court to protect our freedom of religion. They are clearly under attack by this administration which is ignoring the Constitution.
Or will the bishops just give up on serving Catholic constituencies and protecting the freedom of conscience of Catholics engaged in social services? It is a tough decision, but the U.S. is beginning to treat the Church just like the Chinese government does.